1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a riding type sweeper with a rear-mounted engine and a driven sweeper roller located between the front axle and the rear axle. The sweeper roller transports the dirt into a container for coarse dirt which is disposed behind the sweeper roller, from which the fine dirt is suctioned off by a filter blower unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such riding type sweepers are known, for example, from the subject matter described in PCT/WO 97/15731. This reference discloses a rear-mounted engine arranged vertically, having an upwardly projecting drive shaft that is flanged directly on a blower turbine which operates via a suction hose on a fine filter which is disposed in the rear section. However, this arrangement causes a disadvantageous weight distribution, because the fine filter dust remover and the associated suction channel leading to the coarse dirt container located in the rear section shifts the weight of the entire vehicle towards the rear. Moreover, the body of the vehicle is relatively high, since the blower which is also oriented vertically and has a suction hose attached to the top requires a corresponding overall height.
It is therefore an object of the invention to improve a riding type sweeper of the aforedescribed type so that the sweeper has a more advantageous weight distribution and a reduced height.
The object of the invention is solved in that the filter blower unit is arranged in the region before the rear-mounted engine in a vertically superpositioned arrangement and that the blower turbine together with the fine filter are arranged in a common box (24). In other words, one aspect of the invention is to propose a filter blower unit, in which the fine filter and the blower turbine are arranged in a common box and located in a vertically superpositioned arrangement in the region of the rear-mounted engine in front of the rear axle of the vehicle.
Advantageously, placing the direct connection of blower turbine fine filter in a common box, in which the drive for the blower turbine is also inserted, provides a compact construction. By arranging these components as a superpositioned assembly, any weight projecting over the rear section of the vehicle can advantageously be eliminated. In this arrangement, the filter blower unit can be vertically stacked directly before the rear-mounted engine in the space between the front axle and the rear axle.
Further advantageously, by flanging the filter blower unit directly to the coarse dirt container, a suction channel between the fine filter and the coarse dirt container as well and a fine dust container can be eliminated. This reduces both the manufacturing cost and the weight of the vehicle, while at the same time improving the distribution of the space.
A cleaning device can be used to remove from the fine filter the dirt that is drawn in by the fine filter, with the removed dirt being returned to the coarse dirt container.
The overall height is also reduced and the device made more compact by arranging the vertical drive shaft of the rear-mounted engine so that it projects vertically downwardly. The drive shaft can thereby distribute the drive power to all the drives of the various components that are to be driven. This eliminates an upwardly projecting drive shaft which would otherwise increase the overall height.
One embodiment of the invention is directed toward achieving a compact construction with a low overall height. This embodiment is realized in that the fine dust container filter blower unit is arranged sequentially horizontally in the rear section of the vehicle and that the blower turbine with the fine filter and the fine dust container are arranged in a common box. This also makes the design compact, because the blower turbine, fine filter and fine dust container are located in a common box. This embodiment eliminates the suction hose between a blower turbine located remote from the fine filter, which would otherwise be required.
As mentioned above, the fine dust container filter blower unit is arranged in the rear section of the vehicle; however, the rear-mounted engine is not located above the rear axle, but rather slightly in front of the rear axle for optimizing the weight distribution on the rear axle. This embodiment also provides a compact construction by positioning the drive for the blower turbine in the space between the blower turbine and the fine filter and fine dust container and providing a pulley that is connected through an angle drive with the downwardly projecting drive shaft of the rear-mounted engine.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are intended solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims.